From Tahrir To Tiananmen, 'City Squares' Can't Escape Their History : NPR From Tahrir To Tiananmen, 'City Squares' Can't Escape Their History Embed Embed From Tahrir To Tiananmen, 'City Squares' Can't Escape Their History From Tahrir To Tiananmen, 'City Squares' Can't Escape Their History Embed Embed Cairo's Tahrir Square (seen here in January) isn't actually a square — it's a traffic circle. And today, years after it was the site of anti-government demonstrations, it's a beautifully manicured, sterile space. Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images Cairo's Tahrir Square (seen here in January) isn't actually a square — it's a traffic circle. And today, years after it was the site of anti-government demonstrations, it's a beautifully manicured, sterile space. Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images From Mexico City's Zócalo to Rome's Piazza Navona, public squares have always been a vibrant part of urban life.

After visiting Italy a few years back, editor Catie Marron began thinking about the different roles these public spaces have played. She asked some well-known writers to share their thoughts about famous squares around the world, and the resulting essays are gathered in a new book called City Squares. Michael Kimmelman, one of the participating writers, says what's important about a square is that it acts like a magnet, drawing people in. Unlike a park, where people go to retreat, a square is all about mingling with a crowd — it's like a living organism in the heart of a city. "For me a square is about a notion that we have of what an urban life can be and why we go to cities, what we look for in cities," Kimmelman says. "And it has to do with a sense of community, a sense of shared values, a sense of greater possibilities and a sense of humanity." Article continues after sponsorship Kimmelman is the architecture critic for The New York Times, but he says the buildings that surround a square really aren't that important.

Just look at the squares of Rome: "There's the Piazza Navona, an incredibly beautiful square with these great buildings by [Francesco] Borromini and sculptures by [Gian Lorenzo] Bernini," he says. "But just a block or so away is the Campo de' Fiori, which is to me one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. And there's really nothing particularly distinguished about the buildings that surround that square, but it's a hub of life. It speaks as much to what makes Rome a beautiful city and why people love it as does the Piazza Navona." Writer Michael Kimmelman says Rome's Campo de' Fiori is "one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. ... It's a hub of life." Dan Kitwood/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Writer Michael Kimmelman says Rome's Campo de' Fiori is "one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. ... It's a hub of life." Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Those Roman squares are places where people gather for pleasure — to shop at vegetable and flower stalls, to eat at nearby restaurants, to sit on the side of a fountain and talk with a friend. Other squares aren't so peaceful.

'A Strange Emptiness' In Tiananmen Square On June 4, 1989, Chinese troops opened fire on demonstrators gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Seven years later, when City Squares contributor Evan Osnos went to China for the first time as a student, he headed straight to Tiananmen Square. "In some ways, for me, it was almost inescapable — that was the only place I could go first," Osnos says. "I had to go to Tiananmen Square if I wanted to understand what China was and where it was trying to go." But Osnos was disappointed by what he found: China's government had thoroughly reclaimed the space once occupied by protesters. The New Yorker's Evan Osnos says by the time he visited Tiananmen Square (seen here in March) the government had erased all traces of the 1989 demonstrations. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption toggle caption Mark Schiefelbein/AP The New Yorker's Evan Osnos says by the time he visited Tiananmen Square (seen here in March) the government had erased all traces of the 1989 demonstrations.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP "At one point there were a million people in the streets of Beijing in and around Tiananmen Square, but then when I came to the place itself, any trace of those events had really been erased," he says. "To the point that in fact the government had taken away whatever benches or shade trees there used to be around the edge because they really didn't want people collecting in Tiananmen Square anymore. And so there was a strange emptiness about it." The Tiananmen Osnos discovered couldn't tell him where China was going — it was forever linked to the past, to an event people still talk about in whispers and that the government still wants its citizens to forget. But the square itself is a constant reminder of what happened there. "Squares retain their history," says City Squares editor Catie Marron. "They really can't escape that." Independent Booksellers The 'Spontaneous Energy' Of Tahrir Square In recent years, social movements have gotten their start on the Internet (the virtual square) but they've quickly moved out into the streets. "Social media announced what was going on — it brought people to the square, it gave people information," Marron says.

"But where people made their protests, where they made their voices heard was not on the Internet; it was in the physical square." Back in 2011, when social media was spreading the word about anti-government demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the Egyptian government blocked Facebook and Twitter. But City Squares contributor Jehane Noujaim says the government's actions drew even more people to Tahrir to find out what was going on. Noujaim made an Oscar-nominated documentary about the protests called The Square. She says, "I grew up 10 minutes away from the square and I had never experienced Egypt in the same way that I did when I went to that square. ... I felt Egyptian. ... I felt a pride in how people were standing up for what they believed in and really attempting to write their own story. And I'd really never seen such a large number of people talking together, sleeping, setting up tents. And it had this kind of spontaneous energy to it where people would come — come with a tent, come with a blanket, join — and you didn't know how long it would last." That energy has given way to harsh political realities in Egypt.

Noujaim says Tahrir Square is still meaningful to her, but now it's a beautifully manicured, sterile space. And if there's one thing that the writers in this book make clear, it's that squares are always changing — just like the people who inhabit them. 162 Hotels Near Tahrir Square in Downtown Cairo from $17/night | Expedia City Stars Hotels Tahrir Square, Downtown Cairo Hotel Information Marvel at the sights, revel in the sounds, and soak up the local atmosphere: when you book a room at a Downtown Cairo hotel located near Tahrir Square, you’ll be in the center of it all. Hotels close to Tahrir Square are known for their unbeatable locations and tourist-friendly amenities, and the range of must-stay hotels lets you customize your vacation to suit your needs. Find a hotel from $17 per night. Browse Expedia’s selection and check out the best most popular hotels close to Tahrir Square for the world-class spas, sights, and restaurants sounds, or snatch up one of the cheap hotel deals near Tahrir Square, if you’re searching for an inexpensive eye opening retreat.

You might even find some seasonal rates and discounts on the most highly rated accommodations right here on Expedia. Whether you’re jetting off for business work or are traveling for pleasure, scoring a cheap deal on Tahrir Square hotels in Downtown Cairo provides an incredible opportunity to discover the city and it's landmarks and monuments with cash to spare. Now if you're really looking for a rush, consider checking out the hotels near the Super Bowl in February 2017. Cairo/Midan Tahrir – Travel guide at Wikivoyage WARNING: See the warning in Egypt . Midan Tahrir Midan Tahrir (Arabic: ميدان التحرير, "Liberation Square", also commonly known as Tahrir Square) is the name given to the large public square at the epicentre of modern Cairo and, as a city district, to the streets and institutions located nearby. The Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, the Arab League, and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are all located within this district, as are several important government offices. The metro also has its main nexus under Midan Tahrir, and a great many buses and taxis make Tahrir Square a key part of their services.

Understand[ edit ] The square was known as Midan Ismaili until 1954, when president Nasser gave it its current name. Orientation[ edit ] The relatively open vista of Tahrir Square affords the confused traveler a great opportunity to look about and gain some bearings within the bustling city center. Perhaps the most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the now somewhat jaded-looking Nile Hilton, which was Africa's first Hilton hotel, located between the Square and the Nile Corniche. Immediately to the north and perpendicular to the hotel is the unmissable Egyptian Museum in reddish-pink stone. South of the Hilton Hotel stands the dingy Arab League Building. Somewhat further southeast, across the busy thoroughfare of Tahrir street, is the brutal Stalinist-looking Mogamma Building which houses 18,000 Egyptian government bureaucrats. This building is the most convenient place for tourists to renew or extend their Egyptian visas.

From here, Sharia Tahrir heads due west to cross the Nile over the Tahrir Bridge and into Gezira (the island suburb), and beyond to Giza and the Pyramids (several miles away) Next to the Mogamma Building is a small but attractive Mosque of Omar Makram, in which many state and business funerals are held. Only slightly further south can be found the Intercontinental Hotel. Bordering Tahrir Square to the east is a sizable frontage of large office buildings and stores, topped with neon signs. The downtown campus of the American University of Cairo lies across the busy Qasr al-Ainy. Get in[ edit ] Midan Tahrir is served by the Sadat metro stop, but it occasionally closes at times of expected demonstrations. It was closed from 2013 till late 2015. There is a bus stop near the area at Talaat Harb Square. Get around[ edit ] Probably one of the easiest ways to negotiate the busy Tahrir Square area is to use the interconnecting underground pedestrian tunnels linking the Metro station with various points in and around the Square.

This can save a great deal of time and prevent much negotiation of crazy traffic and the ongoing remodelling of the Square itself. The Egyptian Museum[ edit ] Statue of Old Kingdom monarch, approx 4,500 years old The Egyptian Museum (officially, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), on the northern edge of Midan Tahrir, is one of the world's great museums. An extensive building and massive collection of Egyptian antiquities, the museum (also commonly referred to as the "Cairo Museum") is truly a destination in its own right,with at least 136,000 items on display; hundreds of thousands of additional items languish in the museum's basement storerooms and are added to each year with ongoing excavation and discovery. Plans are now well advanced for the transfer of the main collection to a new Grand Egyptian Museum within the vicinity of the Giza Pyramids . Hopefully the new building will be more user friendly, instead of the current poorly-labeled and documented nature of many prime exhibits. The museum is an outgrowth of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, established by the Egyptian government in 1835, in an attempt to limit the looting of antiquities sites and artifacts.

The museum first officially opened in 1858 with a collection assembled by Auguste Mariette Pasha, the French archaeologist employed by Isma'il Pasha to organise the collection. After residing in an annex of the Bulaq palace of Ismail Pasha in Giza from 1880, the museum moved in 1900 to its present location, a neoclassical structure on Tahrir Square in Cairo's city centre. More than a million and half tourists visit the museum annually, in addition to half a million Egyptians. There are seven sections within the museum that are arranged in chronological order: Tutankhamen's treasures. Pre-dynasty and Old Kingdom monuments. First intermediate period and Middle Kingdom monuments. Monuments of the Middle Kingdom. Monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods. Coins and papyri. Sarcophagi and scarabs. General admission is adults LE 75, students LE 30, not including the mummies room (LE 100). Since February 2016, tickets for photography are available at LE 50 per camera. There are three separate checkpoints that have x-ray machines.

There is one outside the courtyard, then there is one before the steps of the museum and a third right inside the doors. Highlights[ edit ] Cairo Museum: Funerary mask of Tutankhamen Objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamen, Upper Floor - discovered in 1922 and gradually revealed over the next few years, many of the objects from the tomb of the "boy king" were brought to the Egyptian Museum for display. A small number of objects found their way into foreign collections, whilst several, including the inner sarcophagus and the body of Tutankhamen himself, remained in the small tomb in the Valley of the Kings . The most famous objects from the tomb are the funerary mask of Tutankhamen and the inner coffin. The mask is made of solid gold, inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian, quartz, obsidian, turquoise, and colored glass. The inner coffin is made of solid gold. It is 74" long, 20" wide, and 20" high. The king is shown as Osiris holding the crook and flail, traditional symbols of kingship.

A significant number of items from the Tutankhamen collection are currently on tour to museums in Europe and North America. The complete collection of items found in the tomb has yet to be fully documented. It took almost ten years for the founder of the tomb, Howard Carter, to finish excavating the tomb. he current permanent housing for the Tutankhamen collection is in the basement of the Cairo Museum but there are hopes to move it to a downtown location soon. The Royal Mummies, Upper Floor, separate admission charge of LE 100, Students LE 50, no photography allowed please note there are two rooms you can enter using same ticket so make sure that you see both of them: many of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom period and later are displayed here in the Royal Mummy Hall, which is at the corner of the first floor lobby. There are mummies of eleven kings and queens that are kept in temperature and pressure controlled glass cabinets on display. Unfortunately, some mummies are not even identified by the name or the period to which they belong to and other chronological information. Jewelry: there is a large collection of Egyptian jewelry on display in the museum. Egyptians were concerned with creating harmonious forms and color combinations.

To a large extent, the majority of Egyptian jewelry was made with gold and semi-precious stones. Silver was used but it much less popular than gold in the creation of jewelry. The majority of the jewelry found on display in the museum were found on the mummy of Tutankhamen himself. Egyptian Museum Library: created in the year 1902, the library specializes in ancient Egyptian civilization and houses some 42,500 books on the topic. However, the library is not open to the general public, with access restricted to accredited researchers and students. Do[ edit ] Attend one of the illustrated lectures on Egyptology, art and culture at the offices of the American Research Center in Egypt [dead link], close to Tahrir Square at 2 Midan Simon Bolivar (known locally as Midan Qasr al-Dubara), Garden City, tel +20 2 794 8239, fax +20 2 795 3052, mailto:arce@internetegypt.com . Lectures are held every Wednesday evening at 6PM during the academic year, open to all visitors, admission free.

Buy[ edit ] A bookstore and several small gift stores are open during museum hours within the main entrance hall to the museum. Prices are often somewhat inflated. Be careful also that the proprietors do not pass on a dusty, grimy equivalent of the display copy you think you are purchasing. Budget[ edit ] Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC. Fatari Pizza Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC). 24 hours. Serves sweet fatirs, as well as varieties with cheese and meat toppings. Has a small sitting area, or is good for take away. ~10 LE. Koshari el-Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC's Greek Campus, corner of Youssef el-Guindi and el-Tahrir Street). Popular koshari chain, serves koshari in various sizes though the small (3 lb) is a good size portion. You can add hot sauce or a lemon sauce.

For 5.50 LE, you can get a small koshari and a can of Coca-Cola. Eat-in or takeaway. Mid-range[ edit ] The basement of the Annex to the Hilton Hotel on Tahrir Square has a large number of internationally flavoured eateries in a mall-type setting, everything from Egyptian to Thai and hamburgers. Prices are reasonable and the setting comfortable. Beano's, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain, serves salad, sandwiches, etc. Cilantro, 31 Mohamed Mahmoud St.. Modern coffee-chain that also serves sandwiches, salads, etc. Wi-Fi available, credit cards accepted. Costa Coffee, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain that also serves desserts and some sandwiches Splurge[ edit ] Bird Cage, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20 2 7957171 . Reportedly the best Thai food in Cairo. We see no reason to contest.

Drink[ edit ] 30.045291 31.240391 1 El Horreya Cafe And Bar (كافيه وبار الحرية), El Mazloum St, 2, ☎ +20 2 23920397 . While noisy and crowded, this classic baladi bar (the Cairene take on a dive bar) is one of very few left in the city centre. (updated Dec 2016) Budget[ edit ] Hotel Osiris, 49 Nubar St. Hotel Osiris is a small, seventeen room hotel located on the top floor of a building near Bab el-Louk Square, and is a five minute walk from Midan Tahrir. The hotel provides clean rooms, some with private bathrooms. $20-40 USD (105-230 LE).

Each way hostel 44 talaat harb street downtown cairo front of elamrecain cafe tel 00202 27725259 - 0114037014 email eachway-hostel@hotmail.com rate for single room $13 for double $19 all rooms with city view wifi internet and aircondation, TV room, internet room, fax Paris Hotel, 15 Talat Harb St. Walid and his staff are great. US $50. Splurge[ edit ] 30.065540 31.228088 1 Conrad Cairo , 1191 Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-5808000 . A 24-story hotel located along the Nile. (updated Dec 2016) 30.045920 31.232227 2 The Nile Ritz-Carlton , 1113 Corniche El Nile, ☎ +20 2 25778899 .

Located on the western edge of Midan Tahrir, close to the Egyptian Museum, and built on the site of the former barracks of the British garrison of Empire days. This branch of the Hilton chain was the first major international hotel to be built in Cairo after the war. Very convenient for transport connections, for the Egyptian Museum and for Downtown. (updated Dec 2016) 30.043017 31.232356 3 Semiramis InterContinental Hotel , Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-7957171 , fax: +20-2-7963020, e-mail: cairo@interconti.com . Opened in 1987, the Semiramis is one of Cairo's premier hotels. (updated Dec 2016) Wi-fi[ edit ] Free wi-fi is available at Pottery Cafe. Free wi-fi (Orange) is also available at modern coffee shops such as Cilantro and Costa Coffee, where you obtain access by getting a 2-hour "promotional" card from the waiter. McDonalds restaurants also offer free wi-fi.

Stay safe[ edit ] Be extra careful crossing the roads in and around Tahrir Square. Egyptian motorists drive fast and seldom obey red lights. Tahrir Square has become one of the most dangerous spots in Greater Cairo, as many political demonstrations have been held there, since 2011. The danger arises not only from the unfortunate escalation of demonstrations into violence, but also because thugs exploit the situation when security forces evacuate the area which makes it easier for them to steal, rob under the threat of injury and even rape. These incidents are usually made by a group of people riding motorcycles. Be careful at Midan Tahrir, or nearby Midan Ataba, as these seem to be epicentres for the touts and pretentious helpful locals. They will pretend to innocently ask you where you where you are from and then point you in the wrong direction in direct you towards a friend's business. Only at the pyramids does this happen more often. Ataba is always crowded and has a very high incidence of pickpocketing, in a scenario such as getting in the metro station from there. This district travel guide to Midan Tahrir is a usable article.

It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page . Midan Tahrir travel guide - Wikitravel 11 Stay safe Midan Tahrir (Arabicميدان التحرير, "Liberation Square", also commonly known as Tahrir Square) is the name given to the large public square at the epicentre of modern Cairo and, as a city district, to the streets and institutions located nearby. The Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, the Arab League and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are all located within this district, as are several important government offices (including those for the renewal of visas). The metro also has its main nexus under Midan Tahrir, and a great many buses and taxis make Tahrir Square a key part of their services. Orientation[ edit ] The relatively open vista of Tahrir Square affords the confused traveler a great opportunity to look about and gain some bearings within the bustling city center. Perhaps the most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the now somewhat jaded-looking Nile Hilton, between the Square and the Nile Corniche.

Immediately to the north and perpendicular to the hotel is the unmissable Egyptian Museum in reddish-pink stone. South of the Hilton Hotel stands the dingy Arab League Building and, somewhat further south-east, across the busy thoroughfare of Sharia Tahrir, the brutal Stalinist edifice of the Mogamma Building (housing 18,000 employees of the Egyptian bureaucracy, together with the most convenient offices for visa renewal). From here, Sharia Tahrir heads due west to cross the Nile over the Tahrir Bridge and into Gezira (the island suburb), and beyond to Giza and the Pyramids (several miles away) Next to the Mogamma Building is a small but attractive Mosque of Omar Makram, in which many state and business funerals are held. Only slightly further south can be found the Intercontinental Hotel. Bordering Tahrir Square to the east is a sizable frontage of large office buildings and stores, topped with neon signs. The downtown campus of the American University of Cairo lies across the busy Qasr al-Ainy. Get in[ edit ] Midan Tahrir is served by the Sadat metro station and micro buses and other forms of public transport from most areas of Cairo.

While closed during the revolution, Sadat Station is now open. Get around[ edit ] Probably one of the easiest ways to negotiate the busy Tahrir Square area is to use the interconnecting underground pedestrian tunnels linking the Metro station with various points in and around the Square. This can save a great deal of time and prevent much negotiation of crazy traffic and the ongoing remodelling of the Square itself. The Egyptian Museum[ edit ] Statue of Old Kingdom monarch, approx 4,500 years old The Egyptian Museum [1] (officially, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), on the northern edge of Midan Tahrir, is one of the world's great museums. An extensive building and massive collection of Egyptian antiquities, the museum (also commonly referred to as the "Cairo Museum") is truly a destination in its own right,with at least 136,000 items on display; hundreds of thousands of additional items languish in the museum's basement storerooms and are added to each year with ongoing excavation and discovery. Plans are now well advanced for the transfer of the main collection to a new Grand Egyptian Museum within the vicinity of the Giza Pyramids .

Hopefully the new building will be more user friendly, instead of the current poorly-labeled and documented nature of many prime exhibits. The museum is an outgrowth of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, established by the Egyptian government in 1835, in an attempt to limit the looting of antiquities sites and artefacts. The museum first officially opened in 1858 with a collection assembled by Auguste Mariette Pasha, the French archaeologist employed by Isma'il Pasha to organise the collection. After residing in an annex of the Bulaq palace of Ismail Pasha in Giza from 1880, the museum moved in 1900 to its present location, a neoclassical structure on Tahrir Square in Cairo's city centre. More than a million and half tourists visit the museum annually, in addition to half a million Egyptians. There are seven sections within the museum that are arranged in chronological order: Tutankhamen's treasures. Pre-dynasty and Old Kingdom monuments. First intermediate period and Middle Kingdom monuments. Monuments of the Middle Kingdom. Monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods. Coins and papyri. Sarcophagi and scarabs.

General admission is adults LE 75, students LE 35, Egyptian and Arab LE 4 (February 2015), not including the mummies room but including Tutankhamun's mask (don't let the touts convince you otherwise!). Recently, rules have been posted that no photography whatsoever allowed within the museum for the protection of the ancient art. There are three separate checkpoints that have x-ray machines. There is one outside the courtyard, then there is one before the steps of the museum and a third right inside the doors. Highlights[ edit ] Cairo Museum: Funerary mask of Tutankhamen Objects from the Tomb of Tutankhamen, Upper Floor - discovered in 1922 and gradually revealed over the next few years, many of the objects from the tomb of the "boy king" were brought to the Egyptian Museum for display. A small number of objects found their way into foreign collections, whilst several, including the inner sarcophagus and the body of Tutankhamen himself, remained in the small tomb in the Valley of the Kings . The most famous objects from the tomb are the funerary mask of Tutankhamen and the inner coffin.

The mask is made of solid gold, inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian, quartz, obsidian, turquoise, and colored glass. The inner coffin is made of solid gold. It is 74" long, 20" wide, and 20" high. The king is shown as Osiris holding the crook and flail, traditional symbols of kingship. A significant number of items from the Tutankhamen collection are currently on tour to museums in Europe and North America. The complete collection of items found in the tomb has yet to be fully documented. It took almost ten years for the founder of the tomb, Howard Carter, to finish excavating the tomb. he current permanent housing for the Tutankhamen collection is in the basement of the Cairo Museum but there are hopes to move it to a downtown location soon. The Royal Mummies, Upper Floor, separate admission charge of LE 100, Students LE 50, Egyptian and Arab LE 10.

no photography allowed please note there are two rooms you can enter using same ticket so make sure that you see both of them: many of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom period and later are displayed here in the Royal Mummy Hall, which is at the corner of the first floor lobby. There are mummies of eleven kings and queens that are kept in temperature and pressure controlled glass cabinets on display. Unfortunately, some mummies are not even identified by the name or the period to which they belong to and other chronological information. Jewelry: there is a large collection of Egyptian jewelry on display in the museum. Egyptians were concerned with creating harmonious forms and color combinations. To a large extent, the majority of Egyptian jewelry was made with gold and semi-precious stones. Silver was used but it much less popular than gold in the creation of jewelry. The majority of the jewelry found on display in the museum were found on the mummy of Tutankhamen himself. Egyptian Museum Library: created in the year 1902, the library specializes in ancient Egyptian civilization and houses some 42,500 books on the topic. However, the library is not open to the general public, with access restricted to accredited researchers and students.

Do[ edit ][ add listing ] Attend one of the illustrated lectures on Egyptology, art and culture at the offices of the American Research Center in Egypt [2] , close to Tahrir Square at 2 Midan Simon Bolivar (known locally as Midan Qasr al-Dubara), Garden City, tel +20 2 794 8239, fax +20 2 795 3052, mailto:arce@internetegypt.com . Lectures are held every Wednesday evening at 6pm during the academic year, open to all visitors, admission free. Buy[ edit ][ add listing ] A bookstore and several small gift stores are open during museum hours within the main entrance hall to the museum. Prices are often somewhat inflated. Be careful also that the proprietors do not pass on a dusty, grimy equivalent of the display copy you think you are purchasing. Budget[ edit ] Directly opposite the gates of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in the south-eastern corner of the square are to be found all the central Cairo branches of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC.

Fatari Pizza Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC). 24 hours. Serves sweet fatirs, as well as varieties with cheese and meat toppings. Has a small sitting area, or is good for take away. ~10 LE. edit Koshari el-Tahrir, el-Tahrir Street (around the corner from AUC's Greek Campus, corner of Youssef el-Guindi and el-Tahrir Street). Popular koshari chain, serves koshari in various sizes though the small (3 lb) is a good size portion. You can add hot sauce or a lemon sauce. For 5.50 LE, you can get a small koshari and a can of Coca-Cola. Eat-in or takeaway. edit Mid-range[ edit ] The basement of the Annex to the Hilton Hotel on Tahrir Square has a large number of internationally-flavoured eateries in a mall-type setting, everything from Egyptian to Thai and hamburgers. Prices are reasonable and the setting comfortable. Beano's, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain, serves salad, sandwiches, etc. edit Cilantro, 31 Mohamed Mahmoud St..

Modern coffee-chain that also serves sandwiches, salads, etc. Wi-Fi available, credit cards accepted. edit Costa Coffee, Mohamed Mahmoud (next to AUC Greek Campus). Modern coffee chain that also serves desserts and some sandwiches edit Splurge[ edit ] Bird Cage, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo, Corniche El Nil, ☎ 7957171. Reportedly the best Thai food in Cairo. We see no reason to contest. edit Budget[ edit ] Hotel Osiris, 49 Nubar St. Hotel Osiris is a small, seventeen room hotel located on the top floor of a building near Bab el-Louk Square, and is a five minute walk from Midan Tahrir. The hotel provides clean rooms, some with private bathrooms. $20 - 40 USD (105 - 230 LE).

edit Each way hostel 44 talaat harb street downtown cairo front of elamrecain cafe tel 00202 27725259 - 0114037014 email eachway-hostel@hotmail.com rate for single room 13$ for double 19 $ all rooms with city view wifi internet and aircondation , tv room , internet room , fax Paris Hotel, 15 Talat Harb Street. Walid and his staff are great. US$50. edit Dahab Hostel, Rooftop, 7th Floor. 26, Mahmoud Bassiony St., Tal’at Harb Sq., Cairo, Egypt. Hostel on a rooftop. Relaxed, clean, by far the best place to stay. No luxury except the most important one: quietness. Single ~ 45 Egy. Pound (~7$), Double 60 (~10$). Splurge[ edit ] Nile Hilton, ☎ +20-2-5780444/5780666 (fax: +20-2-5780475), [3] .

Located on the western edge of Midan Tahrir, close to the Egyptian Museum, and built on the site of the former barracks of the British garrison of Empire days. This branch of the Hilton chain was the first major international hotel to be built in Cairo after the war. Very convenient for transport connections, for the Egyptian Museum and for Downtown. edit Semiramis InterContinental Hotel, Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-7957171 ( cairo@interconti.com , fax: +20-2-7963020), [4] . Opened in 1987, the Semiramis is one of Cairo's premier hotels. edit Conrad Cairo, 1191 Corniche El Nil, ☎ +20-2-5808000, [5] . A 24-story hotel located along the Nile. edit Wi-fi[ edit ] Free wi-fi is available at Pottery Cafe. Free wi-fi (Mobinil) is also available at modern coffee shops such as Cilantro and Costa Coffee, where you obtain access by getting a 2-hour "promotional" card from the waiter.

McDonalds restaurants also offer free wi-fi. Stay safe[ edit ] Be extra careful crossing the roads in and around Tahrir Square. Egyptian motorists drive fast and seldom obey red lights. That said, Tahrir Square is arguably one of the safest areas in which to stay and visit, being full of heavily-guarded government offices, the American University of Cairo, international hotels and cultural institutions. Also, Tahrir Square is a frequent gathering spot to stage political protests, which sometimes can become violent and are best avoided. Be careful at Midan Tahrir, or nearby Midan Ataba, as these seem to be epicentres for the touts and "helpful locals". They will innocently ask you where you where you are from and then point you in the wrong direction in direct you towards a friend's business. Only at the pyramids does this happen more often. A History of Tahrir Square A History of Tahrir Square BY It is too soon to comprehend the full impact of what happened in Tahrir Square during the 18 days that followed. But whatever it is, Egypt and the Arab world will never be the same again. The recent revolution in Cairo has made Tahrir Square a household name.

No one, not even a historian who has written a book on the city, could have imagined that this aptly named public space would nurture a spark that would set the entire Middle East ablaze. Tahrir, which means liberation in Arabic, is one of the oldest squares in modern Cairo. The images of the square recently aired during broadcast coverage of the uprising—images now engraved in the minds of people all over the globe—were taken from the rooftops of the few high-rise buildings situated south of the square. Just beyond this location, looking west and north, is a collection of overlooked buildings that capture the history of modern Egypt and render the revolutionary happenings in Tahrir Square all the more poignant.The Tahrir square witnessed its first serious demonstrations during the same era. Opposition to British presence in Egypt sparked protests and skirmishes, with police killing two dozen Egyptians by Feb. 11, 1946A photograph of the square from the early 1960s helps tell the story. Appearing under the Cairo tower is the headquarters of the Arab League and next to it is the former Hilton Hotel, which is currently under renovation as a new Ritz-Carlton.

North of the hotel is the salmon-colored Egyptian Museum and behind it is a building that would ultimately become the headquarters for President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP). In the foreground is a statue-less pedestal crowning a green roundabout. Each of these landmarks plays a role in the making of modern Cairo, a city that is nearly four thousand years old. Most scholars would agree that the city is only one thousand years old, but its metropolitan expansion in the twenty-first century engulfed all earlier settlements from Memphis to Giza, making Cairo many millennia older. During the time of the Ancient Egyptians, the square was simply a patch of desert. By the time the Fatimids established Al-Qahira (which was later Anglicized into Cairo) in the tenth century, the Nile River had changed its course and swallowed much of this land. The area later became marshland covered by water during flood seasons. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, by the time Napoleon occupied Cairo, the land had dried up enough to allow the French forces to camp there.

It was not until the time of Mohamed Ali, the founder of modern Egypt, that the network of barrages built to control the flow of the river, stabilized the banks of the Nile in Cairo. Tahrir Square was born as a green field. In the 1960, President Nasser issued a government decree changing the name of the square from Ismailia to Tahrir to commemorate the departure of the British from EgyptThe 500 acre open space housed cultivated fields, gardens and many royal family palaces during Khedive Ismail’s reign. Ismail, the grandson of Mohamed Ali, came to be known as the founder of modern Cairo. Having lived in Paris during the remake of the city by Baron Haussmann, Ismail embarked on the project of modernizing the city in many ways, one of which was to build a district later named after him. In the center of this district was a square that carried the same name, Ismailia square. Tahrir square was hence laid out as a formal pubic space. The square, however, had an undefined form until the Egyptian Museum was built in its northeastern corner.

Ismail’s modernization projects plunged the country into great debt, and he was the first ruler of modern Egypt to be removed from power—in this case, foreign forces did the ousting. The British occupation of Egypt ensued into the waning years of the nineteenth century. The British stationed their troops west of the square in Ismailia, in what Egyptians often called the English Barracks. During the early part of the twentieth century, the Ismailia district emerged as the downtown of modern Cairo and it expanded toward the square, which had to be replanned to facilitate the newly introduced vehicular traffic in Cairo. The roundabout in the southern part of the square was consequently built. A few decades later, during the reign of King Farouk, the space acquired the statue-less pedestal. Farouk had commissioned a statue of his grandfather, Khedive Ismail, to be built for the pedestal. The Arab League headquarters were also built during this time, thus defining the eastern side of the square. Tahrir Square was taking shape. The square witnessed its first serious demonstrations during the same era. Opposition to British presence in Egypt sparked protests and skirmishes, with police killing two dozen Egyptians by Feb. 11, 1946.

(On the same day, 64 years later, President Mubarak was forced to step down. An accident of history?) In a twist of irony, the statue of Khedive Ismail, King Farouk’s grandfather, did arrive in Egypt a few weeks following the 1952 revolt. It was never placed on its pedestal, of course. The symbolism of the empty pedestal, a remnant of Egypt’s failed monarchy, was a landmark Nasser left untouchedDissatisfaction with King Farouk’s government brought about another set of protests that resulted in the Great Fire of Cairo on Jan. 25, 1952. A few buildings in the square were casualties of the blaze. (On the same day, 59 years later, the Egyptian people descended upon Tahrir Square in unprecedented numbers to protest their government. Another accident of history, perhaps!) The 1952 fire was a precursor to an Army coup, led by Gamal Abdul Nasser, on July 23, that transformed Egypt from a sleepy kingdom into a revolutionary republic.

In the following decade, in the 1960S, President Nasser issued a government decree changing the name of the square from Ismailia to Tahrir to commemorate the departure of the British from Egypt. Tahrir Square was given its name. In the early 1960s, the Hilton Hotel was built on the site of the former English Barracks. Next to it was a building intended to house the Cairo Municipality but that actually became the headquarters of Nasser’s Arab Socialist Union, the single party that governed Egypt for much of his rule. This was the building that Mubarak’s NDP later inherited—a building set ablaze by protestors during the recent 2011 demonstrations. In a twist of irony, the statue of Khedive Ismail, King Farouk’s grandfather, did arrive in Egypt a few weeks following the 1952 revolt. It was never placed on its pedestal, of course. The symbolism of the empty pedestal, a remnant of Egypt’s failed monarchy, was a landmark Nasser left untouched. The pedestal remained in place until the 1970s when construction of a metro system necessitated its removal.

During Anwar Sadat’s time as president, Tahrir Square acquired Cairo’s first metro station, which was named after Sadat during Mubarak’s rule. The southern part of the square was also renamed Sadat Square, although Cairenes never referred to it as such. They limited their use of the name to the metro station. The Egyptian people have long accepted July 23,1952, as their day of revolution but they never recognized Tahrir Square as the symbol of their liberation. That all changed on Jan. 25, 2011. It is too soon to comprehend the full impact of what happened in Tahrir Square during the 18 days that followed. But whatever it is, Egypt and the Arab world will never be the same again. Social media has given a new life to the city and has reminded us that public space will always remain a vibrant arena for public discourse and revolutionary change.

From Tahrir Square to Emaar Square: Cairo's private road to a private city | Cities | The Guardian Cities From Tahrir Square to Emaar Square: Cairo's private road to a private city The chants for bread and freedom which rang around Tahrir Square will never be heard in the exclusive shopping mall, luxury apartments and golf course of Uptown Cairo and Emaar Square An artist's impression of Emaar Square in Cairo. The private development – built on land owned by the military – will be accessed by a private road Cities is supported by Monday 7 April 2014 02.00 EDT Last modified on Monday 7 April 2014 04.29 EDT Share on Messenger Close In mid-February, the developer behind the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, signed a deal with the Egyptian defence ministry . The agreement clears the way for the construction of Emaar Square, the centrepiece of a mixed-use development – exclusive residential units, a golf course, open-air shopping for international luxury brands – that is part of UAE-based Emaar ’s exclusive Uptown Cairo complex.

The defence ministry, which owns the massive tract of land where Uptown Cairo will be built, is Egypt’s largest landowner and manager . In 1997, a presidential decree gave the military the right to manage all undeveloped non-agricultural land – 87% of the country, by one estimate . In the city of Cairo, this translates to massive, walled plots of land in lucrative locations, monitored from watchtowers. Signs forbid photography and identify them as military zones, but no military activity takes place here. They are vacant, awaiting their turn to be transformed into hotels, housing for military officers or upmarket malls. Emaar Square is the latest and biggest of these military-secured developments. A private road will link it to Cairo’s road network, likely requiring the “cleansing” of the poor homeowners in the Jabal al-Ahmar area.

(Egypt’s military has a lengthy track record of forcibly evicting residents , sometimes using lethal force, in favour of private interests – but nearly always citing security as the reason.) This is a private road to a private city – the chants for “bread, freedom, social justice” in Tahrir Square three years ago will not be heard in Emaar Square. The deal between the defence ministry and Emaar went unnoticed in the news; three years since the revolution, in a way it is business as usual. So how did we get from Tahrir Square to Emaar Square? Pinterest The Tahrir Square protests showed how an everyday space can become a site of revolution and transformation. Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images The Egyptian revolt is not usually discussed as an urban struggle, one that not only takes place in cities but also seeks to undo the very mechanisms that have produced Egypt’s uneven urban environment. The events of Tahrir Square were a protest against the extreme unevenness of development in Egypt , in which the state neglects the urban majority while providing concessions to Gulf investors and local entities linked directly to the military state apparatus.

In the Mubarak years, the state and its business cronies began a development plan called Cairo 2050. This would have led to the mass eviction of thousands of families, in order to transform the city into pockets of high-end residential development, golf courses and shopping centres. Much of the investment was to come from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Egypt's former regime was intent on the “Dubai-sation” of Cairo. The revolution caused an unwanted turn: the Muslim Brotherhood was backed by Qatar rather than Saudi, Kuwait and UAE. But since the military re-took control in July last year, the battle over Egypt’s economy has tilted in favour of the old regime and its supporters, and the old Cairo 2050 projects are back on track, including the Maspero Triangle and Uptown Cairo. Those who celebrate Dubai's urban model and wish for its expansion across the region make the unethical choice of ignoring the fact that the Gulf cities emerge out of a very specific relation between political power and capital: namely, that they are usually one and the same.

The expansion of this model into cities such as Cairo, where the military has unchallenged access both to politics and capital (land, resources, construction), would have a disastrous impact on the urban majority – who will be marginalised, moved out of the way when necessary and put to work under unacceptable conditions, with no power to mobilise and with little pay. So why is this interesting? First, when the military, the biggest land owner and free from civilian oversight, makes a direct deal with a developer to build an exclusive and gated community in the heart of the capital, this is not a free market. It may be framed by the government as part of “building Egypt” and attracting investment, but it merely creates more opportunity for buyers to be locked into gated developments with no access to democratic municipal management: the residents of Emaar Square won’t pressure the government for services, they will deal with the company instead. (Such deals also give the growing “republic of retired generals” cushy jobs.) Second, this is not a democracy, and certainly not revolutionary. The Emaar Square deal included the ministries of housing, local development, investment and the Cairo authorities. This co-operation is what will allow Emaar to build its private road.

And yet these state institutions are failing to solve Egypt’s mounting urban problems, many of which are directly caused by the lack of accountability and the incompetence of these very institutions. Since the 1970s, the state has fallen short of providing services, of creating effective systems of urban management, and of producing expansion plans that allow local private capital to grow while protecting the sanctity of the common – the public sphere, and its manifestation in shared public spaces. Instead, the institutions of the state came together to sign a deal for a private highway to a private city. Pinterest Emaar Square will be an exclusive housing-golf-mall complex, funded with Gulf money. Three years after Tahrir Square, it is business as usual The protests that began in 2011 showed how cities are stages for a struggle not only to shape urban space but also to create new forms of democratic representation. They shed light on how everyday spaces can become sites of resistance, revolution and transformation. This struggle is directly linked to the way power and capital have produced socially and economically unjust urban experiences. In Egypt, the military bear weapons in civilian spaces and have direct access to capital and assets (such as land and building materials) that directly shape cities and their development.

This means that if people stand in the way of military bulldozers coming to remove their “illegal” homes or huts , those residents risk being tried in military court for obstruction. For the majority of Egyptians, cities have lost their vital role as places of economic possibility. Land is just one of many commodities monopolised by the military. There are also contracts worth billions of dollars of state money going directly to military contractors without a proper bidding process – from highway construction to slum clearance to redevelopment. The recent $40bn partnership with the UAE’s Arabtec Construction to build one million low-income housing units on land controlled by the military is just the latest example of how a small cabal shapes the urban environment. Companies associated with former or current military generals are part of a network that produces the essential building materials (chiefly cement and brick) used for everything from luxury condos in gated communities to new residential buildings that expand unilaterally into agricultural land. The spatial confrontations, often violent, in Egyptian squares between protesters and conscripts are in many ways vivid illustrations of Egypt’s struggle over its politics, economy and space – in other words, a struggle towards a more even urban development.

After the Egyptian government suddenly resigned last month, the former housing minister Ibrahim Mehlib was named premier; he appointed Mostafa Madbouly, a leading figure in the Cairo 2050 vision, to replace him. Will these experts in housing and urban development serve the interests of the majority of Egyptians living in cities? Or will they continue to serve the interests of a particular network of political and financial power? Emaar Square is all the indication you need. • Mohamed Elshahed is a Cairo-based scholar completing his PhD with the Middle East department of NYU. A version of this article originally appeared at Cairobserver .

Question: Tahrir Square is in which city?
Answer: Cairo